Hanoi (VNA) – The government convened its monthly meeting on June 4 to discuss the socio-economic situation in May and the first five months of 2022 and reviewed the implementation of the government’s socio-economic recovery and development program as well as the allocation and disbursement of the state budget this year.

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highlighted the limitations and challenges the government, ministries and local governments will face in the coming times and potential solutions for them.

He urged ministries, sectors and local governments to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation, global strategic competition, fuel and input prices, inflation risks and the development of global and regional economies to to provide effective responses.

The Prime Minister asked them to further accelerate the deployment of the COVID-19 vaccine, to provide instructions for the control of the virus in the new context and to remove legal and political obstacles to planning, public investment, socio-economic recovery and targeted national programs.

He also called for the stabilization of the macro-economy; effective inflation control; the transparency of the securities, bond and real estate markets; acceleration of green growth, energy transition and digital transformation; and the restructuring of the money market, among others.

The Prime Minister has ordered the Ministry of Education and Training to address concerns over new textbooks, saying the ministry must consider factors such as feasibility, convenience and cost-effectiveness to bring benefits to people and to society.

Reports showed that despite global uncertainties caused by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, rising costs and potential security and food crisis risks, Vietnam recorded progress in socio-economic development in May and during of the first five months of this year.

The five-month CPI rose 2.25% year-on-year. State budget revenue increased by 18.7% compared to the same period last year and accounted for 57.1% of the estimate.

The country’s import-export turnover jumped 15.6 percent year-on-year. The industrial production index (IPI) edged up 8.3% as manufacturing rose 9.2%.

According to Nikkei Asia, Vietnam jumped 48 places to 14th place in the COVID-19[feminine] Recovery index for May.

With more than 80% of the population fully vaccinated and 60% having received booster doses, Vietnam received a score of 27 out of a possible 30 for inoculations, Nikkaei said.

He also said that Vietnam was also the first country in Southeast Asia to exempt foreign travelers from all testing, vaccination and quarantine requirements./.